Five Blair, nine Bedford bridges to be replaced

It will be at least 16 months until PennDOT's Rapid Bridge Replacement project has an effect on local bridges - five in Blair County - under a timeline and

bridge list released by PennDOT officials.

PennDOT officials announced late last year that Plenary Walsh Keystone Partners was awarded an $899 million contract to replace 558 Pennsylvania bridges, including 48 in District 9 - Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon and Somerset counties.

Through a Rapid Bridge Replacement project, Plenary Walsh and 11 Pennsylvania-based subcontractors - including Glenn O. Hawbaker Inc., a State College company - are scheduled to complete all 558 bridge replacements by 2017.

PennDOT spokeswoman Erin Waters-Trasatt said construction at 58 bridge sites in southwestern and northeastern Pennsylvania is slated to begin this summer.

She said these bridges were selected first because they have low traffic volumes and are similar in design.

"The team has come up with a schedule that they thought would be most efficient," Waters-Trasatt said, adding that bridges can range in size from eight to more than 360 feet.

Waters-Trasatt said similar bridges in location and size were grouped to increase productivity.

Some bridge parts likely will be created offsite to speed up the process, she said.

Ralph DeStefano, District 9 bridge engineer, said all 48 district bridges were classified as structurally deficient - meaning they ranked poorly during bridge inspections and are in need of improvement.

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Five Blair, nine Bedford bridges to be replaced